Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour comes to Big Sky Sept. 24

Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour, a traveling collection of the best short films from the acclaimed Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, will be landing in Big Sky for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Lone Peak Cinema.

“We are really excited to bring such an amazing collection of films to our mountain community,” said Brian Hurlbut, executive director of the Arts Council of Big Sky. “It has been our goal for a long time to bring the art of film to Big Sky. This is the beginning of an effort that we hope will grow into something very special in the years to come.”

Mountainfilm on Tour features a selection of documentary films from the annual festival that will explore the themes connected to Telluride Mountainfilm’s mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Each year, the tour reaches more than 65,000 people on six continents.

“I have no doubt our audience will be inspired by what they experience,” said Rich Addicks, who is overseeing the “Mountainfilm in Big Sky” effort. “This year’s films will cover a lot of ground. There will definitely be something for everyone, whether it be adventure, adrenaline, environment, humor or inspiring profiles.”

Accompanying the tour is Mountainfilm for Students, a free educational outreach initiative for K-12 schools that involves learning through film. The Big Sky School District has enthusiastically welcomed the effort with several classes taking part.

Started in 1979, Telluride Mountainfilm is one of America’s longest-running film festivals. Through the years, the festival has always been best described by one unchanging word: “inspiring.”

Big Sky’s Grizzly Outfitters Ski & Backcountry Sports is the main sponsor of Mountainfilm in Big Sky with help from the Yellowstone Country Regional Tourism Commission and Big Sky Resort. The event is a collaborative effort between the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Gallatin River Task Force.

The show begins at 7 p.m. with a happy hour event starting at 6 p.m., and a free band and after-party at 10 p.m. A Mountainfilm presenter will introduce the films and engage the audience in discussion following the films.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 1 and can be purchased at Lone Peak Cinema or by calling (406) 995-4478. For more information, contact Rich Addicks at (404) 281-0694 or Brian Hurlbut at (406) 209-0189.